I extend my warm greeting to every one of you. After a short lull, I am delighted to connect with you all through this Blog - The Shola Bungalow. If you haven't gone through the other blogs of mine, you can swiftly have a glance by clicking the link.
"Covid"
"Corona"
"Sanitizer"
"Pandemic"
"Quarantine"
"New Normal"
"Social Distancing"
The above were some of the frequently used words that we experienced in the recent past. Initially, when the pandemic situation became vigorous, every Nation declared a lock-down. During February and March, almost all of us relished the lock-down days as many of us never spent such a long extended vacation or stay in our residence with Family.
As days passed, many of us started feeling pressure and stress. Every one of us wanted to come out of the New Normal situation. Though all were connected virtually through Social Media like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Zoom, Meet, Duo, and many more apps, none of them were able to replace the physical presence of a person and failed to satisfy us miserably.
Everyone craved for a Break
Even myself and a some of my friends had the same thoughts, and we decided to take a safe break from the existing New Normal situation. We planned to go for a trip where we could chat, relax, and rejuvenate. After some deliberations, we concluded to visit "The Shola Bungalow" in Valparai.
Why Valparai?
The "Seventh Heaven" is one of the small, less commercialized, and pollution-free hill station located on the Anaimalai hill range of the Western Ghats. Right from the beginning (near Aliyar dam) till the end, one can experience the best in class Journey through all the 40 Hairpin bends, Anaimalai Tiger Reserve (formerly known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary), Kadamparai Hydroelectric power plant, and lots more. Pollachi to Valparai was one of the picturesque drives after rain.
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| The road to Shola Bungalow |
Why the Shola Bungalow?
When one of our friends suggested the Shola Bungalow, we went through all the reviews from google. The property owner also gave us confidence about the safety measures followed in the resort.
- Location
- Landscape view of the Sholayar Dam
- Plantations around the Bungalow
- Bungalow
- Antique interiors
- Hospitality
- Delicious Food
- In-house staffs
- Climate
- Activities
- Bird watching
- Hiking at the bank of Sholayar Dam
Rejuvenating Experience - Day 1
Owing to the above reasons, we decided to Visit the Bungalow. On a fine Saturday morning around 11 AM, seven of us started our Journey from Coimbatore towards the Shola Bungalow. We reached the venue around 4 PM. We traveled for about 130 to 150 kilometers, which took around 4 hours of journey.
We had a pit-stop on the way, at the Pollachi Taj Biriyani hotel. After some good mouth-watering lunch, we resumed our journey. Through the Tea and Coffee plantations on either side, we traveled to reach the Bungalow. The recent rainfall had damaged the roads. Mr.Uthamaraj, the property owner, and the caretaker was waiting for our arrival.
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| Way to Bungalow |
When we saw the Bungalow at a distance, we were able to relate all the pictures that we already checked over the internet. All of us were happy that we had chosen a great place to spend some quality time.
The Hospitality was fabulous, along with a welcome Drink and Snacks. Mr.Uthamaraj explained about the Property, the location, the Antique Interiors, and the natural Water supply methodology to the property.
As it was the IPL season, we started watching the cricket match and enjoy our snacks too. After a good chit chat and fun, we played some indoor games.
We had enticing food around 9 PM, post which we started playing cards. Zero noise pollution (except the Cicada's and Cricket's chirping noise), chill breeze, and travel tiredness altogether gave us a deep sleep.
Rejuvenating Experience - Day 2
Plenty of birds started chirping in the morning. Due to the infrastructural developments and deforestation, many of us missed this chirping noise around our localities. We woke up quickly, refreshed, and started our hiking in the banks of Sholayar Dam. This activity takes an hour approximately. On the right-hand side, it was full of tea plantations (green), and on the left, it was the reservoir (blue). This hiking gave us a lot of freshness.
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| Shola Bungalow's Hiking Spot |
After reaching back, we refreshed and had our breakfast. Then we went for short trekking into the plantations. We had some artificially made spots for capturing photographs. We captured those moments and nature to cherish in the future.
We started back towards Coimbatore with the heart full of memories and the mind full of freshness. Truly we cherished every minute of our stay in the Shola Bungalow.
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| Sholayar dam (Landscape) |
About the Bungalow
The perfect backwater view Shola Bungalow was constructed by Mr.Alexander 71 years ago. In 2016, Mr.Uthamaraj renovated the same with the latest amenities. The Bungalow can accommodate 6 to 8 adults comfortably. The Bungalow had a spacious Living room, 2 Bedrooms, a Dining room, a Kitchen, a Storeroom, and a view room. From the view room, one can adore the scenic beauty.
The Bungalow had an in-house Caretaker and Chef to cook yummy Food items for the guests throughout their stay. The Bungalow had ample space within the premises to park 3 Sedan cars. There was also a Retiring room for Chauffeurs. Also, the Bungalow was Smoking free, litter-free, and liquor-free zone.
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| Resort (Front view) |
When to Visit?
One can visit Valparai throughout the year. I would personally suggest you Visit from June till August if you love the rainy climate or from September to January if you like the cold mist climate.
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| Ornamental Plant in the venue |
How to book?
This place is best suited for Nature Lovers, Peace Lovers, and Bird Watchers. If you are also excited to experience the pleasant stay and scenic beauty in the Shola Bungalow, contact Mr.Uthamaraj. He can help you with bookings.
I have attached the Google Map link below for reference.
Happy Exploring. Share your experience in the comment section. Click here to read my other blog. Do share it with your friends and support.
Picture Courtesy: My Phone Gallery
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